Hospital shuttle bursts into flame in front of Escondido City Hall

ESCONDIDO -- A Palomar Medical Center passenger van burst into
flames just outside Escondido City Hall on Monday morning. No one
was injured.

Dan Buriteau, the van's driver, said that at about 9:10 a.m., he
was en route from the hospital to the California Center for the
Arts, Escondido to pick up passengers when a light on the dashboard
of the 1990 Ford Aerostar began blinking and beeping.

Shortly afterward he began smelling smoke and decided to pull
over along East Valley Parkway and Maple Street and call for
help.

Buriteau said flames quickly began engulfing the vehicle,
sending up thick clouds of black smoke and attracting
onlookers.

An Escondido fire crew arrived on the scene shortly before 9:30
a.m. and quickly doused the blazing vehicle.

The hospital runs the shuttle service to and from the arts
center's parking lot as a way to offer additional parking to
hospital visitors.